This invention is addressed to a portable pet carrier for transporting pets. More particularly, the portable pet carrier of the present invention is designed with a variety of features to provide for improved access to the interior of the carrier resulting in improved openings for placing and/or removing a pet.
A variety of prior art carriers have been proposed for such a purpose, including carriers described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,852,520 and 5,253,612. Such carriers typically have an upper and lower section, made partly or wholly from synthetic material, and a variety of clips or connectors which hold the two sections together. While the patents identified above describe an improvement in the assembly of the sections, using compression snap-lock pins, improved designs for such carriers in actual use, that is, when placing or removing pets, is necessary.
The concepts of the present invention reside in a novel design for a pet carrier having upper and lower sections which can be easily assembled and disassembled when a pet is placed in or removed from the carrier. The pet carrier of the present invention may have a three-piece construction, namely a construction having a top, middle and bottom section. The sections of this construction are typically molded from a synthetic material. The top and middle sections may be fixedly connected on one side by way of one or more hinges to allow the top section to open and still remain attached to the middle section. The other side of the top and middle portions are provided with mating connectors to allow the top and middle portions to be securely fastened to each other. The middle and bottom portions are provided with mating connectors to also be securely fastened to each other and to allow the carrier to be assembled and disassembled.
Alternatively, instead of a fixed connector, such as a hinge, the top and middle portions can be provided with mating connectors to allow those sections to be separate but easily assembled and disassembled. The top portion has a handle or handle-like design to allow for carrying the pet carrier. In addition, a door or window-type of opening may be provided in the middle portion as an additional entry or exit path for the pet.
Optionally, the pet carrier of the present invention may of two piece construction, having an upper and lower section. Those sections are also molded from a synthetic plastic material and are provided with mating connectors such as snaps or latches to be securely fastened to each other and to allow the carrier to be assembled and disassembled. The upper section is usually provided with a handle for carrying and a door or window-type of opening as an additional entry or exit path for the pet. The synthetic material used allows for improved ease in transporting a pet, while the mating connectors provide a carrier which can be easily assembled and disassembled.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to to overcome the problems encountered by prior art carriers by providing a novel portable pet carrier which can be easily assembled and disassembled when a pet is placed in or removed from the carrier. A further object is to provide improved and reliable designs of three-piece construction for securely holding together the portions of the-carrier itself. Another object is to provide alternative designs with two sections which can also be easily assembled and disassembled when a pet is placed in or removed from the carrier.